Case study of how the Heritage Foundation better focused its topics list, including a dramatic reduction in size. Originally presented by Tim McGovern of the Heritage Foundation and David Hobbs of David Hobbs Consulting to J. Boye 2012 Philadelphia.

1. Exploding
Topics Pages
David Hobbs, David Hobbs Consulting
Tim McGovern, The Heritage Foundation
@jdavidhobbs #jboye12 @mcgovern

2. The Scenario
Heritage.org redesign and CMS migration of
40k+ pages.
• Improved user experience
• Improved multimedia support
• Built with organic search in mind
• Improved search capability
• Decentralized content publishing
@jdavidhobbs #jboye12 @mcgovern

3. Totally Awesome, Right?!?!
1000
900
800
700
600
500 Before Redesign
400 After Redesign
300
200
100
0
# of topics
@jdavidhobbs #jboye12 @mcgovern

4. Visual Daily Double
These pictures are search results for a specific term in Flickr.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/andrewfeinberg/2331980801/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mkrigsman/2639842018/
@jdavidhobbs #jboye12 @mcgovern http://www.flickr.com/photos/brapps/2443295857/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/gingerbydesign/5595332896/

5. What is a
“train wreck”?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/12265809@N07/3003465703/
@jdavidhobbs #jboye12 @mcgovern

6. @jdavidhobbs #jboye12 @mcgovern

7. @jdavidhobbs #jboye12 @mcgovern

8. Reality Check
What do you think?

9. Process of Improvement
Gather Agree Relaunc
Assess Retag
metrics on cull h
@jdavidhobbs #jboye12 @mcgovern

10. Assess
• Improvements needed:
1. Streamline topic handling process
2. Change key website functionality
3. Rationalize topics list
Gather Agree on
Assess Retag Relaunch
metrics cull
@jdavidhobbs #jboye12 @mcgovern

11. Metrics
• Supply (6 metrics) – does this topic page
have the right content?
• Demand (4 metrics) – does the outside
world care about this topic?
• Core three metrics:
• Last research published within last six months
• Greater than 10 content items
• More than 10 pageviews in last six months
Gather Agree on
Assess Retag Relaunch
metrics cull
@jdavidhobbs #jboye12 @mcgovern

12. The Ten Metrics
Gather Agree on
Assess Retag Relaunch
metrics cull
@jdavidhobbs #jboye12 @mcgovern

13. Data from Multiple Sources
http://bit.ly/source-inv
Gather Agree on
Assess Retag Relaunch
metrics cull

14. Rules to Define Disposition
Gather Agree on
Assess Retag Relaunch
metrics cull
@jdavidhobbs #jboye12 @mcgovern

15. Recommendations Based on Metrics
Gather Agree on
Assess Retag Relaunch
metrics cull
@jdavidhobbs #jboye12 @mcgovern

16. Getting Buy-in
• Representative per major research group
• Importance of poor performance close to home
• Initial Options: Drop or Keep
• If keep, commitment to improve
• Adjustments: archive, combine
Gather Agree on
Assess Retag Relaunch
metrics cull
@jdavidhobbs #jboye12 @mcgovern

17. Trimming the Fat
1000
900
800
700
600
Before Redesign
500
After Redesign
400
After cull
300
200
100
0
# of topics

18. Topic Health Reports
Gather Agree on
Assess Retag Relaunch
metrics cull
@jdavidhobbs #jboye12 @mcgovern

19. Action oriented
Dashboard
• Full context
of topic
performance
• Tied to
page-level
results
Gather Agree on
Assess Retag Relaunch
metrics cull
@jdavidhobbs #jboye12 @mcgovern

20. Content Submission Form
Gather Agree on
Assess Retag Relaunch
metrics cull
@jdavidhobbs #jboye12 @mcgovern

21. Careful work on redirects
Gather Agree on
Assess Retag Relaunch
metrics cull
@jdavidhobbs #jboye12 @mcgovern

22. What Would We Do Differently
• Have the representatives validate the
metrics used.
• But have examples of severe underperformance.
• Greater passion in advocating the culling.
• Tighter timeline between culling and
starting retagging. Keep momentum!
• Is IT ready to hit the ground running?
@jdavidhobbs #jboye12 @mcgovern

23. Thank You
• David Hobbs
o info@davidhobbsconsulting.com
o @jdavidhobbs
This week: $30 off Website Migration Handbook v2
(use code ‘jboye2012’)
http://bit.ly/mig-30
• Tim McGovern
o tim.mcgovern@heritage.org
o @mcgovern
@jdavidhobbs #jboye12 @mcgovern